Self-closing sifter-top container



Aug. 27, 1929. D. G. MAGILL SELF CLOSING SIFTER TOP CONTAINER Filed sep 192s Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

om'rso STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DONALD Gr. MAGILL, 0F EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY,

' OF NEW YORK, N. Y-, A GORPORATION.0F NEW JERSEY.

SELF-CLOSING- SIFTER-TQP CONTAINER.

Application filed September 26, 1925. Serial No. 58,737.

My present invention relates to sifter tops for containers and more particularly to sifter tops of the self-closing type.

I am aware that self-closing sifter top containers of several types have heretofore and that some of them have upon the market,

been devised been placed but, for the most part,

present invention, bath powders, baby powders,

In the use namely for packaging etc. of certain containers heretofore employed for contents of this character,

accidents have sometimes occurred due to the closing device sticking in open position and permitting the contents to escape when the container has been left in the reach of an infant and overturned or held upside down, the infant in some cases being suffocated or otherwise detrimentally affected.

A. number of fatalities this cause. It is an important resent invention to provide have been ascribed to obj eot of the a container 1 which will be so certain in its closing action as to obviate this danger and yet not be too expensive for practical tion.

vention will be apparent as it is commercial produc- Other objects and advantages of the inunderwhich,

better taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partially broken away, of a container in which my invention is embodied, the thumb-piece of the closure member being shown closed and open posltions of in both the said member,

the latter position being shown in dotted lines; I a v Fig. 2 IS a top plan vlew;

Fig. 3 1s a similar view with member removed;

the outer cap Fig. 4 is a like view with said outer cap member and the perforated closure member both removed; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, stantially on the sectlon line 55 in In said drawings, illustrating taken sub- Fig. 2. the best manner in which I have thus far contemplated applying the principles of my invention, the refrounded by an upstanding shoulder 14, which as indicated at 15.

is flanged horizontally, The periphery of said end member is formed with a flange 16, which is crimped on to the upper edge of the fiber body 11 and thus permanently secured thereto.

An outer cap member 17 is provided with an attaching flange 18 engaging over the flange 16, this member being perforated centrally, as indicated at 19.

A disk 21 is interposed between the cap members 12 and 17 and has a down-turned flange 22 engaging over the shoulder 14, the fit being such asto permit ready rotation of said disk, as will presently appear. Said disk is perforated at 28, correspondingly to the perforations of the outer cap, member17, and has a lateral extension 24 provided with an up-turned lug 25, curled at its upper edge as indicated at 26, this lug being disposed in a slot 27 in said upper cap member 17 and being engageable by the thumb for moving said closure member to position to open the sifter openings 19. Said member is normally held in position closing said openings by means of a spring 28, disposed in a channel 29 in a cross-support 31 of the cap member 12 bridging the outlet opening 13. One end of said spring is, or may be turned downwardly through an aperture in said cross support at 32, thereby anchoring the same and the opposite end 33 protrudes beyond the shoulder 14 and is adapted to be disposed within a slit 34 in the down-turned flange 22 of the disk 21, whereby rotation of the latter in clockwise direction, viewing Figs. 2, 3 and 4, will be against the tension of said spring. The spring is always maintained in proper position and positively moves the disk 21 to closing position when the thumb-piece 25 is disengaged.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes'may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A sifter top for containers, comprising an inner cap member secured to the upper edge of the container body and having an outlet opening and an upstanding shoulder .surrounding said opening, a second cap member disposed above said first-mentioned member and having sifter openings therein, and a rotatable perforated closure member disposed between said cap members and fitting down over said shoulder and rotatable thereon, a spring for normally holding said closure member in position closing said openings and said closure member having means manually operable to arrange the openings of said closure member in registration with the openings of the cap members.

2. A sifter top for containers, comprising an inner cap member secured to the upper edge of the container body and having an outlet opening and an upstanding shoulder surrounding said opening, a second cap member disposed above said first-mentioned member and having sifter openings therein, and a rotatable perforated closure member disposed between said cap members and fitting over and pivotally mounted on said shoulder, a spring for normally holding said closure member in position closing said openings and said closure member having a part protruding upwardly through said second cap member and manually operable to arrange the openings of said closure member in registration with the openings of said cap members.

3. A sifter top for containers, comprising an inner cap member secured to the upper edge of the container body and having an outlet opening therein, an outer cap member disposed above said inner member and having sifter openings therein, a rotatable perforated closure member intermediate said cap members and having a protruding part, a radially extending sidewise bendable spring having one end anchored in the central part of said inner cap member and the other end extended outward and engageable with said closure member, said spring normally holding said closure member in position with the perforations therein out of registration with the sifter openings in said outer cap member and yieldable under pressure applied to said protruding part to arrange said perforations and sifter openings in registration.

4. A sifter top for containers, comprising an inner cap member secured to the upper edge of the container body and having an,

outlet opening and an upstanding shoulder between said opening and the periphery of the cap member, an outer cap member disposed above said first-mentioned member and having Sifter openings therein, said in' nor cap member having a spring-supporting portion inwardly from said shoulder, a wire spring resting upon said supporting portion and having one end anchored therein and the opposite end protruding outwardly from said shoulder, a perforated disk intermediate said cap members and. having a down-turned flange engageable over said shoulder, said flange being also engageable with the protruding end of said spring, said disk being normally held by the spring in position closing the sifter openings and being yieldable to permit rotation of the same to open said openings.

5. A sifter top for containers, comprising an inner cap member secured to the upper edge of the container body and having an outlet opening and an upstanding shoulder between said opening and the periphery of the cap member, an outer cap member disposed above said first-mentioned member and having sifter openings therein, said inner cap member having a spring-supporting por: tion inwardly from said shoulder, a' wire spring resting upon said supporting portion and having one'end anchoredtherein and the opposite end protruding outwardly from said shoulder, a perforated disk intermediate said cap members and having a down-turned flange engageable over said shoulder, said flange being also engageable with the protruding end of said spring, said disk being normally held by the spring in position closing the sifter openings, and apart associated with said disk and engageable by hand on the exterior of the container for moving the disk against the tension of said spring to position with the openings therein and those in the outer cap member in registration.

6. A sifter top for containers, comprising an inner cap member having a pouring opening, a bridge member across said opening, a spring anchored in said bridge member, an outer cap member having sifter openings therein, a rotatable perforated closure member disposed between said cap members and adapted to establish sifter communication between said cap members against the tension of said spring, said spring engaging and automatically returning said closure member to closing position.

7. A sifter top for containers, comprising an inner cap member having an upstanding shoulder surrounding a central pouring opening, a bridge part connecting two opposite sides of saidshoulder, a spring anchored in said bridge part, an outer cap member disposed above said inner cap member and having sifter openings therein, a rotatable perforated closure member disposed between said inner and outer cap members and adapted to assume spring tensioned pouring and closing positions.

8. A sifter'top for containers, comprising an mner cap member having a central pouring opening, a bridge piece across said opening,

a V-shaped spring having its bent part anchored in said bridge piece, an outer cap member having sifter openings,a rotatable closure member disposed between said cap members and having corresponding perforations, said spring normally engaging and holding said closure member in position with the perforations therein out of registration with the sifter openings in said outer cap member, and yieldable under pressure to arrange said perforations and sifter openings in registration.

9. A sifter top for containers, comprising an inner cap member having an upstanding circular shoulder and a pouring opening, a spring anchored in said cap member, an outer cap member having sifter openings therein, a rotatable perforated closure member disposed between said cap members and having a depending on said shoulder and adapted to establish sifter communication between said cap members against the tension of said spring, said spring engaging and automatically returning said closure member to closing position.

DONALD G. MAGILL.

flange fitting around and rotatable 

